night and shining armor (/armour)

Hes my night and shining armour. He’s been with me through everything. I love him to death

I thought he was my night and shining armour….. But it turns out he was just another loser in aluminum foil.

Another of the many in/and substitutions. I’m not sure how people work the notion of a night as opposed to a knight in here: I can think of several vague possibilities but none stands out as right. (Is the night a reflection on the dire circumstances the fair maiden needs rescuing from? Is it an aspect of the hero’s character or appearance?)

Might there be some contribution or interference from the (antonymic?) phrase bright and shining?

Anyhow, it was good for a chuckle or two, and there are lots of exx. (I particularly liked the alumin(i)um foil, and the amour is pretty good too.)

Last edited by DavidTuggy (2013-10-18 16:33:51)

*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .

Re: night and shining armor (/armour)

I’m not sure how people work the notion of a night as opposed to a knight in here…

Since all the examples appear to be about romantic love, I imagine the “night” imagery refers (however unconsciously) to delicious romantic activities that occur in the night.

I’m also reminded of a woman I knew in the early 70s who referred to her (presumably non-romantic) love for her son by calling him her “knight in white satin” (a somewhat distorted reference to the Moody Blues’ hit song “Nights in White Satin”).

And then there’s the popular nickname for Batman: “The Dark Knight”—presumably a conscious pun.